Having a healthy, bug free Winter...

 

 

Start with the basics, get these right and everything else falls into place. In other words, making the best lifestyle choices every day. Yes, every day (!). We’re sure you know what they are, but just in case… 

 

Eating a varied wholefood diet high in fresh fruit, vegetables and salad. The easiest way to do this is to eat local, so what’s in season right now wherever you are – which is exactly what your body needs – and avoids the dreaded food miles. 

 

And, why not steam your veg them rather than boiling them to death?!? Not only is it a gentler form of cooking but more of the nutrients survive the cooking process. Even better, there are some great electric steamers out there which are simple to use, easy to clean and come with a built in timer to remind you when they’re done. 

 

If you have a juicer, how about doing some vegetable based juices instead? Carrot, celery, beetroot and the like are packed with nutrients and taste great too. 

 

Talking of juicing, let’s quickly dispel one very common myth about ready to drink fruit juice. That it’s packed full of Vitamin C to help boost your immune system. While it’s true that fresh fruit does contain high levels of Vitamin C these start to be lost as soon as they’re picked. Even worse, once it’s been cut or processed then the rate of loss increases greatly. Sadly, by the time it reaches the supermarket shelves there is very little Vitamin C left in it at all. 

 

Added to this, fruit juice is high in fructose, which is both acidic and hits the bloodstream quickly, leading to a rapid rise – and then fall – in blood sugar. If you want to enjoy fruit juice, get a juicer and do it at home. Even then, make it more of an occasional treat and include vegetables to reduce the fructose levels and the speed with which it hits your bloodstream. 

 

Avoiding all those “naughty” comfort foods. Cakes. Heavy puddings. Other sugar laden goodies. While it may feel as though they’re helping keep the cold out, unfortunately, they do the exact opposite. Not only do they waste valuable resources in being hard to digest but sugar makes the body more acidic which reduces the efficiency of the immune system. Processed foods and red meat have a similar effect. 

 

Experimenting with fruit and herb teas to find one – or more (!) – you really do like. They’re an easy way to drink more fluids, as well as being warming. While you may not get so thirsty during the winter, central heating is very drying and it’s easy to become dehydrated without realising it. 

 

Making sure you spend some time outside every day, whatever the weather. And it’s not just about taking some gentle exercise, breathing in the fresh air and taking a break from all the madness of the modern world. Natural daylight, regardless of how sunny it is – or not (!) – plays an important part in resetting our body clock and other internal rhythms. Just as important it helps manufacture that an important vitamin. Vitamin D. More about this in a minute. 

 

Taking regular exercise is also important, with the emphasis being on a form of exercise you enjoy (!). Not only does it improve the way in which your body functions, but it also stimulates the movement of lymph. If you think of lymph as one of your waste disposal systems, you’ll quickly see how important regular exercise can be! 

 

Equally important is factoring in regular “R&R” time each day, doing something you enjoy and helps calm / clear your head. It really doesn’t matter what it is – or what anyone else thinks about it (!) – just that you feel better for doing it. A little meditation or cloud watching, pottering, reading a book, a hobby you love, the choices are limitless. 

 

And, finally, not forgetting to get a good night’s sleep. The key is to have a regular bedtime all week, not to rely on sleeping in at the weekend. While you’re asleep your body is hard at working doing all those important housekeeping and detoxing tasks, that can’t be done during the day. Multiple studies have confirmed that a lack of sleep – whether for the odd night or more regularly – suppresses the Immune System and increases the chance of catching a Cold or Flu. 

 

Once you’re got the basics right, here are some of the best known supplements / supports you can take over the Winter to give yourself a little extra help: 

 

Vitamin C has been repeatedly shown to support a healthy Immune System; as well as helping to detox the body and reduce the inflammation associated with acute illnesses. 

 

Vitamin D, particular Vitamin D3, is rapidly joining Vitamin C as one of the most researched vitamins. Not only does it play an important part in the overall immune response, but it also a direct effect on levels of white blood cells found in the blood. 

 

Two other vitamins worth bearing in mind are Vitamins A and E. Like Vitamin D, Vitamin A helps to increase the levels of white blood cells found in the blood. While Vitamin E is an antioxidant like Vitamin C and plays an important part in helping to prevent getting a Cold or Flu in the first place. 

 

Useful minerals include Zinc and Selenium, which both play an important part in immune function. In particular, Zinc is particularly well known for helping to protect against viruses. 

 

If this all sounds far too complicated, why not start with taking a good quality Multi Vitamin and Mineral supplement all year round? 

 

One other supplement you may not have thought about are Probiotics. Not only is the Digestive System an important first line of defence for the Immune System, it’s also vital to ensure that the body receives the best nutrition from the food eaten. 

 

We wrote about supplements generally a couple of months ago, you can find the post here. 

 

Which takes us on to Herbal tinctures, which are another useful way to support the Immune System. While Echinacea is probably the best known – and most researched – tincture, many others are available. These include Astragalus, Sambuccus (Elderberry) and Hydrastis (Goldenseal). 

 

By getting the basics right not only will you have helped boost your overall health but also reduced your susceptibility to any bugs doing the rounds. 

 

So, what if, despite all your best efforts, the worst does happen? 

 

Well, that’s what we’ll be focussing on in a couple of weeks’ time, with all the things you can do at home to help speed any unwelcome lurgy on its way. 

 

As always, the choice is yours.